[Video provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Gao Yuan, from Cameroon, is a student at Jilin Agricultural University in Northeast China's Jilin province, where he has forged an indissoluble bond with its black soil.

Jilin is rich in black soil – a type of highly fertile earth that takes hundreds of years to form a layer 1 centimeter thick – and this has made it China's major grain-producing region.

To prevent the fertility of the black soil from being degraded and to maintain productivity, the province has been undertaking conservation tillage, a form of tillage designed to minimize the use of plows and prevent the loss of topsoil. Lishu county offers a prime example of this practice.

Gao said he is impressed by the conservation farming in the province - which can protect the black soil and increase grain production – as well the fact that it has solved the problem of straw burning.

In 2022, Jilin continued to promote the "Lishu Mode" of conservation agriculture in 46 counties, cities and districts.

Under the guidance and help of professors, Gao obtained a doctorate in crop biotechnology.

According to Gao, Jilin boasts top research strength, research achievements and innovative directions, and he is looking forward to continuing to do research and apply his knowledge in practice in the province.